South Africa and Zimbabwe will soon meet for three ODIs. Here are five members of the touring squad the hosts will need to successfully combat.
Solomon Mire
The right-handed opening batsman relished a telling string of performances during July’s T20I tri-series against Pakistan and Australia. A brisk 94, which featured six sixes, against the Pakistanis was followed by a complementary 63 against the Aussies. He handled the height and speed of Aussie pace ace Billy Stanlake particularly well, which bodes well for the upcoming challenge against Dale Steyn and Co.
Hamilton Masakadza
A veteran of 198 ODIs, Masakadza will likely reach 200 during this series. The captain will be able to draw on this wealth of experience, but he cannot neglect his primary role with the bat. The stalwart right-hander’s last ODI against the Proteas, in 2015, yielded a superb 80. His ODI aggregate against South Africa, though, is some seven runs less than a 28.43 career average.
Kyle Jarvis
The 29-year-old fast bowler missed almost five years of ODI cricket during a relatively successful stint for Lancashire in English county competition, but has since returned to the Zimbabwe fold – and is effectively the seam attack spearhead. He has only played one ODI against this month’s opposition, but encountered several Proteas stars during his county stint.
Brendan Taylor
Another Zimbabwean to have forsaken county cricket in a bid to resurrect an international career, Taylor also boasts a wealth of Jarvis- and Masakadza-esque experience both locally and abroad. Ardent fans will remember the outstanding unbeaten 145 he struck against the South Africans in Bloemfontein in 2010, while Harare was the scene of a superb 138 against the West Indies in March 2018.
Elton Chigumbura
A key resource with bat and ball, the hard-hitting all-rounder has delivered telling contributions for Zimbabwe on a consistent basis over several years. The type of player that can take the contest away from the opposition during a handful of overs, Chigumbura has played for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League and Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League.
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